Scientists are obsessed with this lake - Nicola Storelli and Daniele Zanzi

Explore the depths of Lake Cadagno, a meromictic lake that is considered a model for Earth before the Great Oxidation Event.
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In the millions of years since oxygen began saturating Earth’s oceans and atmosphere, most organisms have evolved to rely on this gas. However, there are some places where oxygen-averse microorganisms like those from Earth’s earliest days have re-emerged. And one such place is hidden high in the Swiss Alp’s Piora Valley. Nicola Storelli and Daniele Zanzi dive into the depths of Lake Cadagno.
Lesson by Nicola Storelli and Daniele Zanzi, directed by Ivana Volda, Thomas Johnson Volda.
A special thanks to Francesco Di Nezio, Bruno Giussani, Raffaele Peduzzi, Sandro Peduzzi, Samuele Roman, and Mauro Tonolla who provided information and insights for the development of this video.
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[@madelinekusuma4009]

this explains how Spongebob has a beach underwater, the thing that has been bugging my mind for years

[@sudosu078]

Thank you for this much needed clarity!!

[@tomatoheadfd]

Yeah that's a good point. Their water is denser. Fun to think it as it's basis in r~eeeelaislity

[@derrickmartinez9838]

How did that pineapple wind up there?

[@Carlos-bz5oo]

Brine pools dot the ocean floor like undersea rivers and lakes

[@jennastephens1224]

I always assumed it was an oil seep because of the color and the name ("Goo Lagoon") but this makes sense too!

[@bt5294]

The animation quality is next level. I forgot i wasn’t looking at actual bacteria

[@harrymills2770]

My rule of thumb: The better the animation, the more tenuous the connection to reality, especially when it comes to start-up proposals by fly-by-nighters.

[@Shogunwario]

What a brown nose

[@signemarkuson1940]

I agree

[@seanteszler3911]

I never understood why we assume that alien organisms would breathe air and need water.

[@nikunjkhangwal]

Exactly my thoughts.

[@TP-om8of]

They might breathe water and need air.

[@juniorgod321]

Theoretically speaking, all living things need water in order to survive!

[@8889francisjose]

They might be also carbon life forms

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

They may not, but our best first step is to look for planets enough like our own to support life as we know it

[@penguinscanfly5796]

the 'Great Oxidation Event' and the 'Great Oxygen Catastrophe' sounds like something youd hear in a movie lmao

[@notamoose231]

Stupendous Oxygen Fart

[@IMasterSkeptic]

That's a very narrow feeling ,atleast not even continental,forget global Do other things also besides watching movies

[@harrymills2770]

@@IMasterSkeptic That's a very condescending attitude.

[@billiesbeat13]

Crawford Lake Ontario Canada is also a meromictic lake. Somewhere on the bottom, my Dad's sunglasses lay preserved forever.

[@kentas1087]

That sunglasses would be broken down by bacteria by now😂

[@4RILDIGITAL]

The concept of oxygen as a toxic gas is surprising. It's fascinating to consider how the Great Oxygen Catastrophe really shaped the evolution of life on Earth.

[@davidcochran595]

Evolution was a theory and now we know thru DNA that evolution is impossible.

[@KristenRowenPliske]

Oh yeah. High doses of pure O2 can blind you. At the very least, it can damage your teeth.

[@Echo81Rumple83]

It's technically poisonous to us as well, but only in very, very large amounts. It's why the humans in the Avatar movies have to use those rebreather devices. I'm still a bit perplexed on why oxygen is considered poisonous in the first place.

[@nigelmcculloch3746]

It's surprising how people believe there's theories, this all happened by accident and we ended up with what we have on the earth now!!!!,the diversity of life on this planet crys out design and harmony not a series of chances!

[@dhararry7929]

It's like a natural time capsule!

[@calihhan4706]

Underwater water

[@jaded5501]

Under underwater

[@dronzerdanks7163]

UnderUnderwaterWater

[@Ak-xr2kj]

Under underwater water

[@john-hl4hw]

Water under water

[@sporter113]

What gorgeous animation! Bravo!

[@Jdog1681]

I've been researching this for some time!! As a follow up to this you should do a video on the horrors of limnic eruptions (can only occur in meromictic lakes). I can't believe I'm just learning about them. They could be the irrational fear replacement for the next generation and overthrow quicksand and sharks!

[@Camaika1997]

Just wait until you hear about the carbon cycle in the oceans. TLDR, CO2 enters the water towards the north, travels all across the world and is eventually released again, a few thousand years later. Now if we think about what has been happening since industrialisation.....

[@Carhintoda]

They already have one they did about an actual incident that occurred

[@Jdog1681]

@@Carhintoda Ted does? I can't find it. What's the video title?

[@Carhintoda]

​@Jdog1681 I went looking and it's not Ted, it was SciShow. Sorry. If you still want to watch it, it's called "Limnic Eruptions: When Lakes Explode". Again, sorry, my bad

[@Jdog1681]

@@Carhintoda No worries, simple mistake. Thanks! I'll head on over :)

[@simranmalhotra7364]

I never knew about such kind of lakes or the fact that oxygen was once a 'poisonous gas' that caused so much extinction. It's all so fascinating. The lake seems like a time capsule that we can look intoto know about ancient origins and evolution of life on earth. I just wish that our research doesn't end up causing harm to the unique and delicate ecosystem of such lakes. Thank you Ted-Ed for such and intriguing and informative video, as always !!🙂🙂🙂🙂

[@harrymills2770]

Does a bear give thought to Nature's balance when it drags down a moose?

[@simranmalhotra7364]

@@harrymills2770 The bear dragging down the moose IS A part of nature's balance (food chain, yk) however, humans diving into such lakes/ rivers/ oceans is not.

[@harrymills2770]

@@simranmalhotra7364 Do you think humans are some alien species from another planet? We're also a part of Nature. As far as we know, we're the only part of Nature that has self-awareness and can consciously effect change in the environment. The only real issue is how we use our intelligence. My point is that if we were ONLY a part of Nature, then we wouldn't even give thought to the harm we do. We would just eat and grow to the maximum extent possible, like all OTHER living creatures. The bear doesn't worry that moose are endangered if it has a moose in its sights. Mass extinctions happened long before humans ever came along.

[@The_Observer_god]

"These bacteria's aren't aliens but rather our distant cousin" - An observer

[@Sahil.1]

Just forgot that its animation done in such a professional way

[@evanlucas8914]

Look up "Green Lakes State Park" in New York, near Rochester. It's just outside Rochester. It's also a meromictic lake. The water is crystal bluish green

[@jinhwi]

Amazing video with interesting knowledge. It's definitely helpful to me! Thanks so much.

[@SPYRIDON-LIKE.AJACKSON.SONG...]

your new video is also amazing and very interesting, thank you very much channel ted- ed

[@gbovm]

the illustration is somehow soothing ❤

[@cloudgoose]

the illustration/animation in this video is gorgeous and really helped bring the science to life. I love that there’s local folklore about the good fishin’ and that science backs it up.

[@alfrancisbuada2591]

This is so cool! And I learned so much from this video. Thank You TED-ED!

[@shahpen3814]

This is my 5th time watching this video because I usually fall asleep half-way thru watching it.

[@achsidecough7184]

Can't blame you for that ,narrative's voice is sooo relaxing

[@paigewhitfield3624]

Wait, so what gas was before oxygen?

[@BeninArmyLeader]

Nitrogen, CO2 etc

[@paigewhitfield3624]

@@BeninArmyLeader ah thank you 😊

[@lenarianmelon4634]

@@paigewhitfield3624 Nitrogen still takes up most of the air but the amount CO2 had been greatly reduced because of all the photosynthesis..

[@KhogenNaorem]

Methane , Carbon monoxide , hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide etc

[@theYoutubeHandle]

fart

[@The_Observer_god]

"Time only exist if you think about it"

[@y4junzhan56]

"Be doing something isn't the same as being productive"

[@y4junzhan56]

"rewards depend on opinions"

[@harrymills2770]

Creatures with any mass whatsoever are forced to see time as a linear progression. There's a past, present and future, with no crossover between the three, because we are constrained by the speed of light and must remain inside our light cone on the time line. You can't defeat the speed of light under Einstein's relativity.

[@SuccessMindset2180]

Very fascinating food chain starting from the depth

[@noahwail2444]

Great video, thanks for that. And it is kind of mindblowing, that all accesable iron on this planet, is a result of the great oxidasion event. Iron used to be suspended in seawater, but when oxygen apeared, it turned to rust, and sank to the bottom, where it became part of the rockbuilding proces. So now we can dig it up, and use it to our hearts content.

[@HoopsAficionado]

Morpheus: What if I told you that at the bottom of an alpine lake, an oxygen-free eco-system exists? Neo: 🤯

[@CarsonCadre]

I remember looking at some stuff about this lake a bit ago so nice to see this video and how cool these body’s of water are

[@Moon-li9ki]

I too, am obsessed with this lake

[@camilacarmona8576]

this only raises the question of what’s the chemical formula for that water with no oxygen? is it still H2O? just H2?

[@CM-lk6du]

Brilliantly explained and illustrated.

[@paranoidz6]

Top notch animation quality with great explanation

[@bazpearce9993]

Life is amazing, in all it's forms.

[@martynridley3671]

Interesting and informative video. Thanks!

[@JordanBeagle]

1:45 Damn, imagine being a freediver not knowing about the sulfur layer until it's too late!

[@MsKoffeinjunky]

Doesn't really matter if you breath water or some sulfuric solution. You know how diving and freedving work?

[@Batten-jc6ws]

You’ve never been swimming, have you?

[@nightingale3.0]

What a delicately preserved environment!! I wonder if humans ever will have such an area if something bad happens.

[@travelchoice89]

🔍🏞 Join the obsession! Scientists unravel the mysteries of this captivating lake with Nicola Storelli and Daniele Zanzi! 🌊🔬 Embark on a journey of discovery and exploration as they delve into its secrets! 🌟🔎

[@Nitephall]

I love the animations in this video.

[@nightops5898]

Congratulations Ted! Your gonna reach 20M subs 🎉🎉

[@lucianoosorio5942]

“If you want to count fish, please take the reef tour.” Steve Irwin

[@pallavisrivastava7010]

Thanks.. it was magical to watch

[@anzaklaynimation]

Soo clear explanation. ❤

[@user-eq2dx2jp6v]

Dear Addison ❤❤❤ we love you ❤❤❤❤ and all good dear friends ❤❤❤❤ thanks so much ❤❤❤❤

[@cupur]

how fascinsating, meromictic lakes

[@snowmiaow]

Excellent video. Would like to see a photo of the purple bacterial layer.

[@pratikangadi5728]

One of best animation of ted

[@maxhill9254]

very interesting, thx

[@the2nd965]

This art style is amazing!!

[@ianturpin9180]

I have seen stromatolites at the bottom end of Shark Bay WA AU. Still producing oxygen millions of years later.

[@keithhopkin]

Fascinating

[@jackstone4291]

Great interesting animated video

[@MythicTales993]

It has always baffled me why we take it for granted that extraterrestrial life requires oxygen and water for survival.

[@inesbauer1119]

As a scientist researching life in other plantes, at least in our lab we don't take that for granted. We actually make models using thermodynamics to see if different solvents and sources of energy permit the evolution of life!

[@harrymills2770]

Those oceanic vents are probably the best clue for the beginnings of life on Earth. But it's very hard to study and extremely hard to replicate those Archean conditions, because the whole planet was sulfur-based, as was all life.

[@crankyturtle9704]

Love the animation!

[@tophergami]

Awesome video! I thought you might want to know that CO2 has linear geometry (the bond angle is 180 degrees, not the ~90 degrees depicted at 0:34)

[@michaelrstudley]

Such a great video

[@reenadactyl]

so cool!!

[@edwardgilmour9013]

The lakes in the Vestfold hills (Antarctica) have a similar ecology.

[@projectcontractors]

"All life comes from a single moment of creation. Some 3.8 billion years ago in some bubbling mud pot or deep ocean thermal vent. Some little bag of chemicals twitched and became animate and than miraculously reproduced itself. Everything that lives now on earth, or ever has lived, descends from that moment. We are all built from a single original blueprint. I don't believe there is a more important or remarkable fact in the natural world, indeed in any world, then that one." ~Bill Bryson

[@ameliag.389]

Wow

[@I-amAnonymous]

So cool !

[@gustavocarvalholoboleite3526]

Hey Ted -ed sugestion to next history video: Los Angeles ritos of 1992.

[@natheriver8910]

Very interesting 👏 👏 ❤❤

[@behavior852]

Question: how did the fish get there. Like caldrons here in America, where fish seem to thrive, even though, there is no water system feeding it.

[@lothair10]

This reminds me of the Lost River biome in Subnautica!

[@tashashouse]

Cool. Thanks.

[@Ivankasilva]

Woahhh...

[@DavidDel88]

I wonder who the animator was? Great work

[@landismcgauhey7217]

How can water-- by definition, a combination or hydrogen and oxygen-- be devoid of oxygen? If indeed at the bottom of a lake, there's a liquid devoid of oxygen, this liquid is something other than water.

[@francissanchez5640]

so cool!!!!

[@ayaanamin3339]

wow

[@mikepictor]

Just like Pink lake in Quebec Canada

[@angelnicolev.iniego4253]

this is so coool!

[@justrandomthings709]

What if in other worlds, the great oxidation period did not happen and these anaerobic organism flourished. It's fascinating to know living organisms not needing oxygen.

[@Rev_Oir]

Lake Baikal in Russia is huge, deep, and old. I wonder if it's meromictic, a term I've never heard before.

[@socialschooler]

Effective communication is about understanding and being understood, emphasizing active listening, clarity, non-verbal cues, empathy, feedback, open-mindedness, digital etiquette, and adaptability. #CommunicationSkills #effectivecommunication #activelistening #empathy #digitaletiquette Learn More: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHe9komieZ2bfrM

[@pramodsingh7569]

Love from India 🇮🇳 ♥️

[@MegaRhyz]

its always interesting but this is especially so and i have no idea why.

[@GaryAa56]

I just learned something I was even aware of.

[@trackeralias1124]

3:53, shouldn't that be carbon dioxide as opposed to oxygen? always love these vids, informative, interesting, and somethign about the way they're set / spoke is just relaxing!

[@fasbazawllfflen5427]

Well, no. Plants and Algae (an artificial group) rely on oxygen to realize the oxidative phosphorylation, just as in us oxygen is the final-acceptor of electrons of the electron transport chain, responsible for generating the major part of the ATP molecules used as energy source in our organisms. But plants perform phytosynthesis as well, fixing carbon dioxide to produce complex molecules and oxygen.

[@I_have_no_username]

tldr: plants use photosynthesis which releases oxygen

[@Camaika1997]

@@I_have_no_username *but also requires oxygen. They just produce more than they need

[@Yallahchris]

Animation is fire, truly great

[@katherineknapp4370]

Cool 😊

[@scottwigenton9754]

3:53 plants do not rely on oxygen, they require CO2 for photosynthesis.

[@MarkDean47]

I'm very interested in creating an artificial model. Wouldn't it be beneficial to do this to more lakes to improve ecosystems?

[@user-bp4nv3qp4d]

This beautiful animation is superior 💖💛😃

[@Echo81Rumple83]

This would also explain why the brimy river in Subnautica is even poisonous to the players if they try to swim thru it.

[@billiesbeat13]

@kentas1087 no not really bc back in the 70s, archeologists found 600 yr old corn grains and a thousand yr old feather intact.

[@stanislauyan3204]

Just a regular Cauldron Lake!

[@mallikabalu2032]

Thank you. Did not know about this at all. The great Oxygen catastrophy- never dreamt that Oxygen would do all that damage🤤😲😨

[@MrDaVallejo]

Please check on the edition of the video the background music is too loud!

[@Artkidtek]

Liked

[@nhnehal7656]

Make a video about tiger existence

[@666pss]

Why won't the salts diffuse upward? You only discussed convection.

[@here2enjoy-bt8jq]

4:23 so eating those small organisms isn't a problem for the shrimp/similar and fish right?

[@HienNguyenHMN]

Learning new words... sublacustrine... meromictic...

[@Seasidecc95437]

I chortled when the diver walked into the lab

[@knightshade6232]

Can we make aquariums like this

[@kimistri]

You learn something new everyday 💦👀

[@snowmiaow]

With so many large fish, how does the bottom not fill up with mulm?

[@andrewbraverman4953]

Why doesn't the salt diffuse into the top layer?

[@TaLeng2023]

Salty water is heavier than freshwater. Kinda like how brine pools remain intact coz they're saltier than the surrounding seawater.

[@user-pi1zi5js5x]

0:48

[@avivastudios2311]

It seems as if without oxygen an organism can never become too complex. Is that true?